hooper



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1. A. HOOPER.

TIME RECORDER.

' No. 369,450.. Patented Sept. 6, 1887.

(N0 Mew. I 2 sneetssneet 2. A. HOOPE-R.

TIME RECORDER. No. 369,450, Petented Sept. 6, 1887.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

, ALOZEUS HOOPER, OF WOODBERRY, MARYLAND.

TIME-RECORDER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 369,450. dated September 6, 1887.

Application filed OctohcrlP, 1886. Serial No. 216,590. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ALOHEUS Hoornn, a citizen of the United States, residing at Woodberry, in the county of Baltimore, State of Maryland, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Time-Checks, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawm s.

lily invention relates to improvements in devices for recording the time and personal attention of the watchman in factories, buildings, or other places to his duty; and the objects of my improvements are to provide a cylindrical moving surface to receive the record in the direction of the length of the cylinder, which admits of uniform parallel spaces, and at the same time aifords a firm support or bed for holding the recording-sheet and receiving the autograph of the watchman, in which the record-receiving medium may be passed only once around the cylinder, or a sheet passing continuously any number of times around the cylinder; to provide against the unauthorized substitution of another person to attend to the duties of the proper person or make the records for him in his absence without detection; to provide asimple and durable device; to prevent tampering; to prevent deceptive record; to show by his autograph the presence of the properly-delegated person at all times during his hoursof watch, and to preserve a record of the watch.

Timechecks have been proposed in which a cylinder is'provided with fixed-surface timeindioating divisions, a record-receiving sheet of paper removably attached to and moving with said cylinder, and a time-operating niotor for the latter, and in which access is had by the watchman to therecord-receiving sheet, on which he writes his name through a slot in the top of the case inclosing the cylinder.

My improvement in such a device resides in the precise arrangement of the motor and its connection with the revolving cylinder, whereby intermediate gearing is avoided, the device rendered compact, and every part concealed from view and protected from being tampered with.

Referring to the drawings, Figure l represents my improved time-check case. Fig. 2 represents a vertical section of the complete device, the motor mechanism being shown in elevation. Fig. 3 represents a crosssection of the device. Fig. 4 shows a top view, the cover being removed; and Fig. 5 is a sectional detail of the coupling for the cylinder and its motor.

' The time-check mechanism is inclosed in a suitable case, at, having a cover, I), secured by a combination-lock, c, or other suitable fastening, so as to prevent unauthorized access to the recorder. The case may be permanently secured in its proper location byiutcrior bolts or fastenings, access to, which cannot be had while the case is closed, to prevent its removal from place to place by the watchman. The device is thus not only made a permanent fixture, requiring the watchmans attendance at the desired location, but the operating mechanism is rendered perfectly secure from tampering. The time-checking device consists ofa cylinder, d, of wood or any suitable material, and of any desired size, suitably mounted to revolve in the case, and having its cylindrical surface at or near one or both ends provided with timedivisions and numbers indicating hours and divisions of hours like the divisions of a clock-face. These time divisions are formed or spaced by lines parallel in the direction of the length of the cylinder, and are so spaced as that one'revolution of the cylinder will take place in twelve hours, the same as the hour-hand of a clock. Around the surface of the cylinder is applied a blank sheet or covering of paper, e, so as not to cover the time-divisions 0n the surface at the end of the cylinder. This blank-paper covering is intended to receive the record, and is fastened at'its ends to the cylinder in any suitablemanner, so that it may be readily removed for filing as a record-reference and readily replaced by another blank. For this purpose the cylinder may be provided with a number of such paper blanks, which are removed as each days or nights record is made.

As shown, the record sheet or sheets are secured around the cylinder by clamping their meeting ends within a longitudinal surface groove, f, by a clamping-strip, g, fastened to each end of the cylinder, so as to bind the ends of sheet-within the groove. These blank sheets may be lined or spaced to correspond with the numbers and spaces on the cylinder, and they may also bear date of the day, month, and year; but this dating is not necessary, as it may be done at the time of removing the rec ord. Instead of having a single sheet or sheets passing only once around the cylinder, I may use a sheet of sufficient length to pass a number of times around the cylinder and remove the daily record by cutting it off from the continuous sheet.

Access for making the record upon the'cyt inder-sheet can only be had through an oblong opening, 7L, in the top or cover of the case centrally above the axis of the cylinder of sufficient length to enable the watchman to write his name upon the blank sheet in the direction of the length of the cylinder.

hile the opening 71 in the cover may be of any convenient length, it is important that it should not disclose the numbers upon the cylinder which indicate the time or divisions of time, so that the watchn'ian can get no knowledge of the time indicated by the check at the time he signs the record or at any other time.

The cylinder is preferably made hollow for lightness, and is mounted horizontally upon a shaft, '1', in pill0w-block bearings j at each end.

A suitable motor, preferably an eightdayclock movement, is connected with the shalt of the cylinder by means of a coupling, 7.:, of such construction as to permit of uncoupling for the purpose of stopping the recording-cylinder, or for any other purpose. The cylinder is mounted so as to revolve close to the top opening, 71, in the case, and is so timed that its time-spaces and their numbers are presented for signature in periods correspond ing with the time of a clock.

The importance of causing the record-rcceiving sheet to move as a fixture with the cylinder is that the time-receiving surface has a uniform movement across the opening it throughout its length and gives a surface or space in the line of the cylinder, and thus presents to the writer a surface moving at right angles to the line of writing or to the length of the opening in the cover.

XVhen the time-check is set for use, its record-receiving cylinder is adjusted so that itstime-nunibcrs may agree with those of a clock. The motor is wound up and the cylinder thereby set in motion to make the same revolutions as the hour-hand of a clock. The

cover is then secured by lock or seal, leaving exposed only that portion of the cylimlersurface or time-sheet which is beneath the coveropening to receive the signature of the watclr man, which may be required at every hour, half-hour, or any desired period, whereby to show the personal presence of the watchman at the place or places where the time-check is located. Instead of placing the time-indicating numbers upon the cylinder-surface, they may be placed on and near the edge of the blank sheet or upon both the cylinder and the sheet. The case may be so placed for use as to bring its oblong opening it at the side or at the top, as may be desired.

I have stated that the shaft of the time-indicating cylinder is connected to the motor by means of a coupling adapted for being uncoupled, and I have shown such coupling device in Fig. 5, in which t is the cylinder-shaft and t is the hounhand shaft of the motor, placed in axial line with the cylinder-shaft, and having their abutting ends coupled by two sleeved crossheads, '0 0*, one of which, '0 is secured by a screw, '0, on the end of the hour-hand shaft '6, and the other sleeved cross-head is secured on the end of the eylimler-shaft i by a screw, 0, while the cylinder-shaft extends into the sleeve '0 of the hour-haml shaft. Pins :0 project horizontally from the ends of one of these cross-heads into corresponding holes in the ends of the other cross-head, and thus couple them together to lock thetwo shafts together and permit one of the cross-heads to be unclamped and slid upon its shaft to separate its coupling-pins from the other cross-head. This arrangementand combination of cylinder, motor, and coupling cross-heat ls gives the advantage of placing the motor at the end of the. cylinder, so that the cylindershaft will be practically an extension of the hour-hand sh a ft ofthe clock-motor and the cylinder be driven without the intervention of extra gearing. By thus combining and arranging the parts I am enabled to use the ordinary clock-motor without the dial and hands and without any change in or additions to said motor.

I claim" The timeindicating cylinder and clock-motor of a timecheck, the hour-hand sleeve of the motor arranged in axial line with and forming an extension of the cylinder-shaft, in combination with the sleeved cross-heads n a, their clamping-screws v" v, the coupling-pins m 00, and the inclosingcase having the slot 7/,

substantially as described, for the purpose specified. In testimony whereof I have affixed my nature in presence of two witnesses.

A LCQ-l l US IIOOPER. \Vitnesscs:

'lnnononn L. IIoornn, J. REGIGSTER J 01 .LY. 

